Firsts: Failure + Success

Without a doubt, 2017 was the best of year of my entire life - personally, professionally and spiritually!

I married the love of my life June 3rd in a beautiful ceremony in LA, surrounded by our closest family and friends.

I filmed the first full season of my television show, Butter + Brown, that aired October 3rd.

I took the stage at Essence Festival and did my first live cooking demo with my friend and co-star in partnership with AT&T.

I brought in the New Year in Bali with my, then fiancée, and family friends.

I was a released from a toxic professional environment that solidified for me what I wanted to do with my life once and for all.

I moved back to my hometown of Los Angeles after living in the Bay Area for 3 years.

I traveled.

I partied. Hard.

I laughed. A lot.

I experience a level of happiness I didn't know was possible and I've been here ever since.

Ultimately, getting swept up in non-stop celebration and enjoying so much success (along with an inexplicable knee injury in New Orleans at Essence Fest this past summer partying) in turn caused me to fail in area I promised myself I never would again. So much irresponsible celebrating caused me re-gain 40lbs I'd worked so hard to lose years before. Forty pounds I didn't want. Weight that's made me uncomfortable, sluggish and not at all like myself.

PARTY FOWL

My weight has caused me so much grief over the course of my life. Especially as a kid. It's been the single most frustrating and consistent battle where I've suffered more losses than wins. But rather than cave and give in to defeat, I've accepted that this is something I will likely always struggle with, but something I'll never stop fighting.

As I'm officially settled back in to LA, I'm slowly learning discipline and balance once again. Equipped with an arsenal of healthy recipes, a knee brace, a black card membership to Planet Fitness and annoyance with the way my clothes fit, I'm ready to be my best self once again! The journey starts February 1st.